New technologies to help small businesses in 2016

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Technology will continue to play a crucial role for businesses in 2016

Small businesses up and down the country are gearing up for the new year right now and while that means taking stock of what went well in the last 12 months and aiming to replicate these efforts in the year ahead, it almost means taking a look at the new innovations that could come to the fore in the coming months to provide significant benefits.

Steve Haworth, chief executive officer at UK telecoms business TeleWare, told smallbusiness.co.uk that there are many great technological innovations that could have a major impact on the ability of smaller firms to flourish in 2016, so here we look at some of the most likely.

Wearable tech is expected to be one of the most popular new items to come out in 2016, with the latest iterations of smart glasses, smart watches and portable fitness devices all set to enter the wider market in the months ahead.

Meanwhile, the growth in the Internet of Things will continue apace and is likely to permeate even more devices in the coming year, ensuring the march of progress helps to keep companies and their customers even more connected than ever before.

Arguably, the most important innovations in technology that are expected to be seen in 2016 could therefore come in not in the realm of actual new devices or gadgets, but in the way that legislation protects both consumers and businesses making use of the wealth of data that is now being produced.

Set to come into force in the early part of the year are new European-wide regulations for companies handling sensitive consumer data, with national regulators to be given increased powers to prosecute and punish those businesses that are not taking seriously their responsibility to safeguard the information they have access to.

As a result, businesses of all sizes will have to react to increasing scrutiny on the way they manage customer data, meaning the year ahead is more likely to be typified by a reduction in risk for firms than through any major new step-forward in individual tech that will revolutionise operations overall.